TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on May 18, 2019 6:36:18 GMT 1
21 Ride - Going Blank Again
Ride go more pop with their 2nd album but still can pull of a shoegaze epic as well. 'Twisterella' is probably their 2nd biggest song when they play live, it gets the crowd really going. And yes many of these album tracks are not as memorable as the ones on their debut but for me its still a faultless album. Ride are probably one of my all time favourite bands and I love that their new music is great as well. The album reached #5 in 1992.
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Post by TheThorne on May 18, 2019 6:45:14 GMT 1
20 Blur - Parklife
Yes they win the battle with Oasis but this album is much lower than I expected before I did this list. I'm just as into Brit Pop now compared to rock. The legacy of this album though is massive and I did play it to death at the time. I just find Blur funny now, maybe its a middle aged thing but I look at them now and they are 25 years old!! that's like when i was 16, they would be from 1961. they were reviving at sound from when I was born and now they are a sound from before my son was born, it just screws with my head. But the mix of party songs and punky tunes and gorgeous ballads deserves to be appreciated by the young today. And its the ballads that I think that save this record in 2019, they are all still amazing from 'To The End ' to 'This Is A Low'. The album reached #1 in 1994 and has sold over 2 million copies.
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Post by TheThorne on May 18, 2019 6:56:28 GMT 1
19 REM -Out Of Time
Some albums I have played so much I cant hear them without knowing what song comes next and that applies to this album completely. Looking at the top 20, I think there is only one album that I have played more than this one, so maybe it should be higher. I havens even listened to 'Automatic For The People' as much as this album. But 1991 was a massive year for music and we still have 4 albums to come from that year. In fact only one album comes from the 2nd half of the decade. I need to work out what my top album from 1998 and 1999 were as we have already had them!! Anyway back to this, just a perfect album yes even 'Shiny happy People', the album tracks are mostly amazing as well liek 'Texarkana' and 'Me in Hoiey' but my favourite song I think is 'Near Wild Heaven'. The album reached number oen everywhere and has sold over 10 million worldwide.
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Post by TheThorne on May 18, 2019 7:04:56 GMT 1
18 Foo Fighters - The Colour And The Shape
Well after having the best album of 1999 already on this list, Foo Fighters do it again in 1997. For many this album and 'Everlong' in particular marks a special time in their lives. 'Everlong' was the ultimate MTV2 song and I don;t know anyone who did love that video. CATS is so good I just want to play it all the way through now and I woudl strongly argue a case for it being a better record than 'Nevermind' but as legacy and impact at the time is playing a part, we will have to wait a little longer for that record. I just haven't played this album as much as 'Nevermind' or even 'There Is Nothing Left To Lose' as I only bought the singles at the time. Anyway just a brilliant rock record from the goth feel of 'Everlong', to the pop punk of 'Monkey Wrench' and the epic 'My Hero' and the gorgeous 'Walking After You' just perfect songs. The album reached #3 in the Uk and #10 in the US.
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Post by TheThorne on May 25, 2019 8:30:02 GMT 1
17 Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go
This has got harder to post as we get to the end, I'm just not journalistic enough to explain why these albums are so special and great. This is also a funny one as it turns out its my number one album of 1996. That cant be right, I don't remember it being anywhere close to be my favourite at the time. I guess some music and tastes get lost in time, those damn missing early charts! But yes it is a brilliant album but I thought the singles especially at the time where all a bit samey, you know. It was a brilliant song but really 'Everything Must Go' and 'Australia' are practically the same song. So is it even my favourite Manics album, I am thinking now maybe not but when I put this list together, I hadn't played them all within the same month!! I think they were just too obvious in 1996, everybody loved them then and I was maybe being a bit of an early fan snob. Surprised to see it only reached #2 was sure it was a number one. It was their first of two triple platinum albums though.
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Post by TheThorne on May 25, 2019 8:37:28 GMT 1
16 Green Day - Dookie
This I really wont argue with my 2nd favourite album of 1994. The first song I heard by Green day was 'Longview' and up to this point I was never really a fan of punk rock. But Green Day were something different, they had this freshness and energy which I was not finding in most grunge music at the time. They were just ferocious. Ok I did know heavy bands in that genre like Fugazi but I didn't own any of their music. Green Day like for many were my first pop punk band. With 'Longview' they were still this band that nobody else knew but suddenly we had 'Basketcase' and they were suddenly everywhere. Every music channel and even in the US pop charts. Is 'Dookie' the best pop punk album ever? I think that it is safe to say. The album went all the way to #2 in the Us and #13 in the UK and has sold over 15 million copies and I am sure it still sells today.
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Post by TheThorne on May 25, 2019 8:43:31 GMT 1
15 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Another stalwart of MTV and MTV2 especially were Red Hot Chili Peppers and although I knew them as weird sock wearing funk meisters, they weren't really my thing although I didn't mind their 'Higher Ground' cover. But then I was visiting my recent girlfriend and now wife and at her house as she was at home with parenst as she was ill and we watched MTV all day and this video came on. I was like what is that!!!! 'Give It Away' is probably one of my all time favourite rock songs, love the video and everything about it so much. That was it, I was an instant Chili fan and I have bought every album since, yes I know poor me. It wasn't just the funk, they also made amazing ballads and just crazy sh*t songs. This album is maybe not as easy a listen as 'By The Way' their most pop album but it is so much fun and always surprises you. The album was their first proper hit record going to #3 in the US and #5 in the UK and selling over 9 million worldwide.
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Post by TheThorne on May 25, 2019 8:51:42 GMT 1
14 Primal Scream - Screamadellca
Dropping out of my top 10, if I had made this list in 2000, their is a chance this record would still have been in the top 3. I just got their latest best of album yesterday as well. There is no denying this is a masterpiece record but it is starting to show its age and its funny that the 60s style tracks have actually dated less than the rave tunes. 'Movin On Up' still a total tune. I didn't buy this record straight away. 'Loaded' was a total wtf song to me as I knew Primal Scream as an indie band and it took me a while to get them. But my main clubbing time was the Madchester era so this album is the soundtrack to my student years so will always be special. Its also one of those albums that you must play all the way through, I literally had to switch to the next track on YouTube after playing the 'Movin On Up' video there, it is so ingrained in me. Not all the hosue and rave tracks are dated, so like 'Slip Inside This House' could still work on a dancefloor today, id imagine Rudimental doing a brilliant remix of it. Superstar DJs were like gods to me in this era and Andy Weatherall just could do know wrong. This their third album reached #8 in 1991 but like the records above, I am sure it still sells today. Oh we are going dance anyway cant help it. <iframe width="10.600000000000023" height="6.899999999999977" style="position: absolute; width: 10.600000000000023px; height: 6.899999999999977px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none;left: 5px; top: 229px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_84143977" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="10.600000000000023" height="6.899999999999977" style="position: absolute; width: 10.6px; height: 6.9px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 473px; top: 229px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_1471735" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="10.600000000000023" height="6.899999999999977" style="position: absolute; width: 10.6px; height: 6.9px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 5px; top: 516px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_15027558" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="10.600000000000023" height="6.899999999999977" style="position: absolute; width: 10.6px; height: 6.9px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 473px; top: 516px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_64110952" scrolling="no"></iframe>
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Post by TheThorne on May 25, 2019 9:00:59 GMT 1
13 Elastica - Elastica
The only true Brit Pop era band in the top 20. ***Spoiler Alert*** Boo Radleys and Suede don't count, but you knew one of those was still to come. So why Elastica not Blur or Pulp, well apart from the fact their songs were overplayed to death. Elastica just had a punky attitude and I know Damon may have been involved in the songwriting but that just makes them even better imo. I guess I have always liked female vocalists and they were by far the best female fronted Brit Pop band. Like most Brit Pop they weren't doing anything that hadn't been done before but they packaged it in such a way that every song was a indie floorfiller. I always danced to Elastica, always!! I bought their first single, I still remember that little black 7" for 'Stutter', I think I played that so much the record ended up clear vinyl. Like to know what others thought of Elastica, this album was a magical one off and its a shame that they never managed to follow it. The album reached #1 in 1995. <iframe width="10.600000000000023" height="6.899999999999977" style="position: absolute; width: 10.600000000000023px; height: 6.899999999999977px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none;left: 5px; top: 197px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_49891477" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="10.600000000000023" height="6.899999999999977" style="position: absolute; width: 10.6px; height: 6.9px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 473px; top: 197px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_55531022" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="10.600000000000023" height="6.899999999999977" style="position: absolute; width: 10.6px; height: 6.9px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 5px; top: 484px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_38004691" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="10.600000000000023" height="6.899999999999977" style="position: absolute; width: 10.6px; height: 6.9px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 473px; top: 484px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_50036411" scrolling="no"></iframe>
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Post by TheThorne on May 26, 2019 9:35:20 GMT 1
12 Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray
My third biggest album of 1992 and really deserves to be in my top 10 but just too many albums fighting for those last places. One of my most played albums ever and I was such a huge fan of this band. This is by far their best album and its perfect, it only could be improved by adding 'Mrs Robinson' which they did later. At the time I preferred this type of indie rock to grunge but the tide has slightkly turned over the years and a couple of albums in that genre have beat this to the top 10. It is the definition of short and sweet though. The album only reached #68 in the US and #33 in the UK.
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Post by TheThorne on May 26, 2019 9:43:06 GMT 1
11 Boo Radleys - Giant Steps
Another album pushed out of the top 10. This was my favourite album of 1993 but has been forced down to #3. This album may not have spawned any big hit singles but it is their greatest album by a mile. I think I find it a bit too experimental now and the brass does annoy me a little know. But tracks like 'Lazarus', 'Barney and me', 'Wishing I was Skinny' and the album track 'Rodney King' are some of the best songs ever made. Me and my wife were obsessed with this record at the time and I feel band its not in my top 10 anymore It was Select's album of the year and second in NME. Love this quote I found on Wikipedia. "For 64 minutes they were the greatest band on the planet". Really you need to hear this album as a whole appreciate the sound and effort gone into it. A masterpiece of shoegaze and early Brit Pop. The album reached #17 in the UK.
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Post by TheThorne on May 27, 2019 9:53:20 GMT 1
***********************NUMBER 10************************
Nirvana - Nevermind
Is there an album on this list which has as iconic a start at this record, I doubt it. I knew of Nirvana as their music got played at one of our indie nights and I had already bought 'Sliver' but 'Smells Like..' just took things to a different level. Everybody had suddenly heard of them. You were meeting blokes in the pub and they were saying, you gotta check out this 'new' band called Nirvana they are amazing and under my breath 'I know...'. It did get very annoying. So much so that I didn't even buy 'Nevermind' as it was just to obvious now, I eventually did a few years later possibly soon after Kurt's death but not so soon that it looked like I bought it because he died. Honestly it was a music snob minefield hehe. I wasn't being a snob, I just liked being different and grunge going overground was not my favourite thing at all, ok maybe I was hehe. But anyway we are hear to talk about the record and it is practically faultless, just big song after big song. But I just cant let it get the prize for best grunge type album of the 90s, I can't do it. The album was a US number one and only peaked at #7 here but has sold almost 20 million copies worldwide
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Post by TheThorne on May 27, 2019 10:06:12 GMT 1
***********************NUMBER 9************************
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
No the prize goes to Smashing Pumpkins. They were my Aberdeen, my Pulp, my Irn Bru. Ok I will explain that, You get asked who was the best Brit Pop band Blur or Oasis and you go Pulp, which is better Pepsi or Coca Cola and you say Irn Bru, do you support Celtic or Rangers, I support Aberdeen. Do you like Nirvana or Pearl Jam, which is the best grunge band? Smashing Pumpkins!!
I hate binaries choices made my people who know nothing about the subject they are talking about and just leap onto the bandwagon of the two of biggest in that genre,field or market.
Smashing Pumpkins were an indie band first to me and that divide between which chart you got played on The Chart Show was very important to me at the time. They didnt look like rockers, they were not obviously metal influenced, they just had an epic grungey guitar sound and shoegaze spirit and the vocals, well like nobody else apart from maybe Kermit's nephew. 'Siamese Dream' is an epic masterpiece of quiet and loud, of grunge and space of shoegaze and lo fi. Metal and grunge fans werre a bit against Smashing Pumpkins but listen to a song like 'Quiet' does it not deserve to sit next to Soundgarden and Alice In Chains, the rare moments when metal creeps through. But then you make a song like 'Disarm' only Nirvana came close to matching them with the delicate songs. The album reached #4 in the UK, yes higher than 'Nevermind'; and #10 in the US and has sold 5 million worldwide.
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Post by TheThorne on May 27, 2019 10:19:13 GMT 1
***********************NUMBER 8************************
Suede - Suede
Just pipping Smashing Pumpkins for biggest album of 1993, is the debut record from Suede. As any band released 4 such brilliant EPs as their first singles, not even Ride who come a close 2nd. I didn't buy this album at the time but I bought all the singles, well you had to as the B-sides were brilliant. I think I got 'Suede' in Poundland about 10 years ago hehe but of course I had heard it and played it long before that. I don't think there was an Indie night I DJed where I didn't play at a Suede song, in my 7 or so years. The timing of Suede was perfect as well as loving Suede , just annoyed all those people who got into grunge with 'Nevermind', 'why do you like that 'poofy' band?', was a common phrase to be heard at our local Rock Student Union. Yes different times. Why cant you like Suede and Nirvana, why do you have to pick a side. That was one of the reasons I think Brit Pop exploded as it really did turn into a battle, eventhough most Brit Pop bands were playing both sides, what else was 'Pop Scene' for example. I know I am not talking about the record but time and place are just as important as anything and these awesome songs, were the soundtrack to my best years of my lives. I think we get from all my reviews in this top 10, is I hated how my bands were treated or perceived my casual music buyers and the bandwagon jumping and trendys just did my head in. I bet those guys who slagged of Suede 25 years ago, now hail them as a great band much better than the 'sh*t' in the charts today, argh!!
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Post by TheThorne on May 27, 2019 10:28:41 GMT 1
***********************NUMBER 7************************
Garbage - Garbage
The best album of 1995 and anyway who has been following closely must have worked out this was still to come. Another brilliant debut single introduced us to that girl from goodbye Mr Mackenzie now working with grunge producer extraordinaire Butch Vig, who produced two other albums in this top 10 so far!! Shirley Manson was always a good thing about GBM but this was something else. She was now a powerful front woman. Critics and snobs said she was plundering the sound Curve had a few years earlier and yes there are similarities, but there was room for both. Curve great as they were never quite mastered the pop hook like Garbage. So industrial, grunge and alt rock pop combine to make my most played record of 1995, even influences of trip hop were in this. And yes we even had a bit of Garbage fatigue, 'Stupid Girl' did get played to death on MTV but teh rest of the record still sounds fresh and exciting. I almost got tickets for them in November, I wish I did! The album raeched #6 in the Uk and #20 in the US. Lets have the Bjork influenced 'Queer' to play out for now.
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 1, 2019 8:57:22 GMT 1
***********************NUMBER 6************************
Ride -Nowhere
The second oldest album in the top 10 and liek teh album just above it, I was really not quite ready for it when I bought it. I did tend to make some big leaps of faith based on reviews when I was 17-18. Ride were my first shoegaze band and yes I diod hear this music on The Chart Show and the indie club I went to on friday nights but Ride were somehow different. They were a proper rock band at the same time so not that dissimilar to The stone Roses in that sense rather than just noise, yes I hadn't got into MBV at this point hehe As for thsi record is is pure briloianve and is it better than the 4 EPs probably not. But it does take two of their best songs and fan favourite 'Vapour Trail' must be one of the best last tracks on any record. Also teh extended album which includes more EP tracksis even better and the one I listened to while compiling this list. The Album reached #11 in 1990 in the UK.
Lets have two as its so good.
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 1, 2019 9:08:17 GMT 1
***********************NUMBER 5************************ My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
'Its Just Noise'. How did I get from that to it being one of my all time favourite records, it took time. It is a beautiful record, when I took home from FOPP I was so happy with myself and then I put it on, aww my ears. When did 'Only Shallow' go from screeching annoyance to one of the most beautiful songs ever, it took a long time and seeing them live later that year was such an aural assault i never fully recovered, the loudest gig of my life. Yes this album is hard work but when you get it your life is changed forever. I think it was when i got 'When You Sleep' I was able to relax a bit, the template for lo-fi alt rock for the next ten years but then it back to weirdness again. But love it I do and then we end with another brilliant last track possibly one of the best songs ever certainly of the 90s, the mighty 'Soon'. If you have never heard shoegaze before I really would not start with this record but if you like any shoegaze at all, you must get this record into your life, it will repay you and you must play it LOUD!! Pitchforks' 2nd best album of the 90s it reached #24 in 1991. It is my number one album of 1991. <iframe width="10.600000000000023" height="6.899999999999977" style="position: absolute; width: 10.600000000000023px; height: 6.899999999999977px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none;left: 5px; top: 275px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_81719751" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="10.600000000000023" height="6.899999999999977" style="position: absolute; width: 10.6px; height: 6.9px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 473px; top: 275px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_77326427" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="10.600000000000023" height="6.899999999999977" style="position: absolute; width: 10.6px; height: 6.9px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 5px; top: 562px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_96778439" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="10.600000000000023" height="6.899999999999977" style="position: absolute; width: 10.6px; height: 6.9px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 473px; top: 562px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_167908" scrolling="no"></iframe>
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 1, 2019 9:18:13 GMT 1
***********************NUMBER 4************************
Sugar - Copper Blue
The Creation records love in continues. Sugar were such a brilliant band, Husker Du slightly pasted me by but I knew a couple of their songs but then I heard 'Changes', it was like the sweet spot between Nirvana and R.E.M/ I dont believe thsi record woudl have got anywhere without 'Nevermind' paving the way for it. I knew of course that Bob Mould was one of the pioneers of this sound sop it was brilliant that he was finally getting it time in the sun. But the record had songs even better than that, especially the stealing back sound of 'A Good Idea', everybody at the time said it just sounds like 'Debaser', well I'm sorry Husker Du did this first. That was the appeal of this record, it made underground indie acceptable by the grunge fans and it was edgier than REM were these days, well until 'Monster'. It is a perfect album and a record that I always have to play all the way through 'Fortune Teller', 'Man On The Moon' all brilliant album tracks. It was NME's album of the year in 1992 and reached #10 in the UK
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 1, 2019 9:19:48 GMT 1
So who is in the top 3 well I think most will be expecting 'Automatic For The People' but what are the other two albums, one is a female fronted band and the other is a singer/songwriter.
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 9, 2019 7:45:21 GMT 1
***********************NUMBER 3************************
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Why is it always so hard to finish these lists by the time you get to the best records you have had enough. Did I ever expect this to be in my top 3 when I bought it 25 years ago, no probably not but the legacy of this record has just grown and grown. I got into him through 'Last Goodbye' which combined the sounds of two of the bands still to come with a voice which was just so ahead of its time. Everyone talks about its voice and songs which are incredible but the band are amazing as well, the production on these songs is just top notch. Jeff Buckley's influence is still being felt on music today , we woudl have had no Coldplay or Keane without him for example. Just a perfect record but like the two records to come you need to be in the right mood. It eventually spawned a hit single to the popularity of 'Hallelujah' in the 00s reaching #2. We can only imagine what brilliant music he would have brought us, if his life had not been cut so short. Talking about the albums chart success seems a bit redundant, it still sells today but only reached #31 in the UK. But it has been a massive seller going 7x platinum in Australia for example, it has worldwide sales of around 3 million.
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